high definition
Americannoun
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a system for screen display of images that are sharper and more detailed than normal, having many more than the standard number of scanning lines per frame: HD
Most TV shows are available in high definition.
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an audio system that reproduces sound with a high degree of accuracy and clarity: HD
music recordings that use high definition.
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an optical system that produces very sharp images. HD
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of high definition
First recorded in 1980–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The legal papers include a snapshot of the box for a high definition television.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
Tidied into high definition, they often appear restless.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2025
He said the restaurant had installed high definition cameras "to boost security".
From BBC • Jul. 31, 2025
GlowTrack is robust, time-efficient, and high definition -- capable of tracking a single digit on a mouse's paw or hundreds of landmarks on a human hand.
From Science Daily • Sep. 27, 2023
The colors of the Roman afternoon suddenly seemed sharper, as if the world had switched to high definition.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.